Expected Value
by Miss Regina Star
Summary: Expected Value /ɪkˈspektɪd ˈvælju/ noun: 1. A mathematical expectation. 2. The expected worth of an object or estate based on a deep analysis. Alexander Lightwood is worth the entire world to one Magnus Bane. It should therefore not have come as such a surprise that he would be the price of saving it. Character death. One-Shot. Malec.


**Hey!**

**It's been ages since I have written any Malec. Well, I have a few I am working on, but I don't have the confidence to post them yet. This is a super old one-shot I wrote over a year ago. I liked it, but I could never figure out what to do with it. posting it seemed like I good idea, though. So here it is!**

**Context? Err... the same context everyone else is using, I guess. In a world where our ship hasn't been sunk, and Malec is still an item. During some big dramatic demon war.**

**Random Fact No. 24843294: The collective noun for a group of crows is a murder. A murder of crows. Hence comes the brilliant riddle 'There is a murder on the lawn, but no killer. How can this be?'**

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Magnus gripped Alec's hand even tighter than he felt possible, and jerked him out of the way as a Greater Demon slashed through the wall, where his lover had previously been standing. Magnus could almost imagine the claws sinking through Alec's pale white flesh, a final blemish among his abundance of scars. The thought sent a small convulsion of fear through Magnus's body as he clutched Alec to himself once more, feeling his heart beating against his own.

"Alec, we have to get out! I need to summon the demon and make it send some back, you _know _that!" shouted Magnus. He wasn't mad at Alec. Even on the worst of days, he rarely felt a true anger towards his darling Shadowhunter, and _never _had he loathed him.

"What about the others? Do I just leave while they have to fight?" Alec looked back at him, tears in his eyes. They had been separated from Isabelle, Jace, Clary and Simon when a wall had collapsed, leaving him alone with Magnus as demons wove their way through Idris. It was like the war against Valentine's demons all over again.

"I can't leave you alone, Alec." Magnus's voice came as little more than a whisper, the sound brushing against Alec's ear like the kiss of a true angel. "I can't leave you, Alec. I need you. I need to know that you are safe, and that I am close enough to save you."

Alec gave a weak smile. "It's okay, Magnus. I wouldn't want to leave you either. It's just…"

Alec didn't need to continue.

"We will come straight back to find the other Shadowhunters, I swear." Magnus paused, before flashing a smile. "And Simon too. You know, probably."

Alec chuckled, before leaning into Magnus's shoulder. It wasn't a kiss, or even an embrace, but just an urge to be beside Magnus once more. A desire which Magnus returned, breathing in Alec as they stood there. Both wounded and wanting to cry, holding back their fear as they held each other, neither knowing that their moments together were counting down.

Even as they ran to bargain with a demon, neither of the boys knew what to expect.

Magnus led, as usual, though Alec knew where they were going. There was a famous pavilion in Idris, granted for warlocks to raise demons when they were necessary. In times past, Shadowhunters would capture warlocks as slaves to work in this pavilion. The memories of what this place had once stood for were not lost in Magnus.

"Are you sure that this will stop the demon attacks? I don't want you to get hurt without purpose…" Alec trailed off. "Magnus, I don't want you to hurt yourself at all."

Magnus looked at him with what he imagined to be a strange expression. He had been living with Alec for just a few weeks, and had seen him come home in terrible shape more times than he cared to count. Sometimes there were just scratches, other times Alec would be wounded with poison or venom, and things would get a little messy.

Seeing Alec now was like a torture he could never have imagined.

His face was soaked in blood, new scars lining Alec's cheeks. He knew Alec would never admit it, but he had several broken ribs and had what seemed to be a chipped knee cap. Maybe Alec had thought that he was hiding it well, but he had stumbled as they ran over. Still, he hadn't allowed Magnus to heal him, claiming that he needed his magic for the battle.

His worst injury, however, had been sustained from a more intelligent demon. Knowing that Alec was a Shadowhunter, the little beastie had broken most of the fingers on Alec's right hand, and the thumb of his left on the way to the pavilion. In the shape he was in, Alec could hardly hold a stele, let alone use one. What the demon hadn't been counting on was the fact that he had a warlock for a boyfriend.

Magnus laughed bitterly as he drew the pentagram on the rich terracotta floor, throwing Alec a dark look. "Do you have _any _idea what it is like for me to see you like this? If I could just…"

"If this works, Magnus, and it all ends, you can do anything you like." Magnus knew that this wasn't just about preserving his power, though. Alec would surely be thinking of his siblings, in similar conditions to himself, but without a warlock. He didn't want to feel better when they didn't.

"Anything, Mr Lightwood? I surely hope you don't live to regret those words," smirked Magnus, knowing that under the blood stains, Alec was blushing. Magnus let out a sigh as he completed the gateway to the demon world, before attempting to summon his father.

Magnus wasn't sure why all of the demons were surging through the gateway at the present time, but he knew that his father had power over most of the demons aside from the Greater Demons. Perhaps he would have enough influence to call off some of the others, too. At any rate, if he could retract half, or even a quarter of the manifestation… Magnus would have given anything.

Sighing, Magnus began the incantation in the language of Lilith. Alec looked at him with awe as he did, seeming fascinated by the crackling language. Magnus's eyes softened, some of his fondness for Alec taking over his expression. How many Shadowhunters would look at him the way Alec did, beautiful eyes filled with admiration as he chanted in a demonic language? Many would look at him as though he bore a curse, while others would simply look disgusted. Alec was certainly one of a kind. Magnus had never met anyone quite like him.

Maybe that was why he had taken such a liking to him. There was no one to compare Alec to. No one in his past or future would ever quite fit the mould of Alexander Lightwood. Alec would always be special.

Suddenly, there was movement as darkness, almost like smoke rising from the ground. Magnus looked at Alec's face once more, his previous awe having been replaced by sheer amazement. It was like he understood the magnitude of magic it took to summon a demon, and what's more; appreciated it. Magnus knew he must have been the luckiest warlock in all of existence.

"Hello, Bane."

Magnus looked up at the figure of the now risen demon. He knew the voice well enough to know that it did not belong to his father, but rather a dull looking demon who chose to take up a human form in the presence of humans. Magnus got the sense that this _thing _was mostly doing this for the benefit of Alec. Here, the warlock wasn't considered human.

"Hello, Duke, I see you are still my father's…" Magnus paused, trying to think of a PG rated term for the next word. "Whore? Maybe…"

Duke snarled at him, baring teeth which weren't quite human.

"Magnus… who is that?"

Alec's voice was frail behind him, and Magnus decided to try and avoid his usual banter with Duke for his sake alone.

"This would be, in the politest words possible, the demonic version of a secretary. I'm guessing my father is out? Should I call in another time?" dead panned Magnus, glaring at the demon before him.

"No, Bane, he merely wanted to watch a little longer from the stands before coming out to see whatever petty task you have for him," replied Duke, with an accent which would set any non-demonic being on edge. "He knows you only ever come to see him when you want something. This time he demands payment."

Alec could tell, even from where he stood, that there was more than just a silly dispute between Duke and Magnus. If he looked at it from all perspectives, he could see that Duke might have a lot to be jealous of. Magnus had power in a world of light. He was able to live, and love, while whatever scraps the demon might have been given from Magnus's father could scarcely be thought of as 'love'.

"Liar!" hissed Magnus, the word sounding harsh. "He doesn't do that. He doesn't care about the mortal world anymore." There was a pause. "This was you."

Duke gave a grin of triumph. "You're right. Your father doesn't care about the mortal world anymore, which is why he gave me permission to take whatever I wanted, with the exception of your life, away from you."

Magnus's face paled. He resisted the urge to glance at Alec, to see if he was even still there.

"Hmmm…" hummed Duke, in mock consideration. "Which shiny object do I choose?" Flashing a horrible grin, the demon let his gaze drop on Alec's startled face. "How about this one?"

Alec gave Magnus a terribly confused look, and Magnus wished more than anything else in the world that Alec _had _understood what the demon had said. His innocent Alec, who didn't understand that the demon meant to kill him.

"What is he saying, Magnus? What does he mean?"

It was all Magnus could do to look at Alec, but words refused to come to his lips.

"Yes Magnus, whatever does he mean?" mocked Duke, a look of sinful pleasure smeared across his face.

"It doesn't matter Alec, there will be another way. We are leaving." Magnus's voice had been shaking out of control, and the warlock was able to pinpoint the exact moment when realisation spread across Alec's delicate features.

"I'm the price, aren't I, Magnus?"

Magnus nodded, hearing Alec's sweet, honest voice reaching his ears, not daring to meet his eyes. It didn't matter, though. Magnus wasn't going to sacrifice Alec anyway.

"We'll find another way, Alec," said Magnus, determination strong in his voice. He risked a glance at Alec, and was disturbed to see a look of acceptance on the Shadowhunter's beautiful face.

"This would end it, right? Or at least save lives…"

"Alec, don't you dare even consider it-"

"Magnus, my whole family are out there, fighting for their lives. If I could stop it all… I would give my life for any of theirs." Alec sounded resigned, and Magnus felt dread building in the pit of his stomach. Duke looked delighted.

"You are worth every bit as much as they are, Alec. Would you let Isabelle sacrifice herself? Jace? I can't just let you do this. Alec… I love you."

Alec gave a funny looking grin, and for a moment Magnus wondered why, before realising how much it meant to Alec to have those three magic words said to him, even after he had been told a thousand times by the warlock already.

"I love you too, Magnus. More than I've ever loved anyone. More than I thought it was possible to love someone, and you make me… you make me feel like I'm someone worth being loved."

"You are," murmured Magnus, now meeting his eyes. "You are, Alec. You always were, even when you were…"

"An idiot?" suggested Alec, remembering the times he had denied loving the majestic warlock. Magnus shook his head.

"No. Even when you feel like you aren't, even when you feel so awful that it hurts, you have never failed to be worth everything. That's the only reason they want to take you away from me; because to me, you are everything." As Magnus said this, he spared a hateful glance at Duke. The demon seemed completely untouched by the words, if not a tad smug. "And you can't just expect me to let them steal you away so easily."

"It's okay, Magnus. They won't be stealing me. I would be willing to give my life to protect Idris. To protect you and my family… there is no alternative."

"You shouldn't be able to say that like it is nothing, Alec, because you are everything to me. I do not want to have to make do without you. I finally get to be happy… just for a while, and _this _happens. I need you to live, Alexander. Please…" Magnus would beg, grovel even, to keep Alec at his side, but the boy stood firm.

"You are asking me to choose between myself and my family, Magnus. You _know _that is not a choice. I have a duty to them." Alec was so strong. It felt like no one ever saw, but he was so unbelievably strong.

"This isn't just about _you_, Alexander. Maybe, just maybe, I want you to stay by my side. Maybe I don't _want _you to die." Magnus sounded exasperated. "I need you Alec… you have no idea how much I need you."

Alec sighed, broken and tired. "I need you too, Magnus. You have always been exactly what I need. Ask Isabelle, maybe. She will tell you…" For a moment, Alec almost looked wistful, before he snapped out of his daze. "But there are people dying _right now_ who need us so much more. They need me to die, and you to let it happen. Won't you, please?"

"How could I let you die, Alec? Just let it happen…"

"I will do it, Magnus, even if you forsake me. Even if you abandon me, I will do whatever it takes to keep my family – this whole city – safe. But I wish to have your approval-" Alec choked on something intangible, before proceeding. "I know how you feel, Magnus, I do-"

"No you do not, Alexander. You think you can understand – because you lost what, a dog when you were little, or-"

"I lost my brother to a demon," hissed Alec. Magnus's body tensed, and he felt like kicking himself. "I know what it is like to feel so hurt that you think that life will never get better, to wish that it had been you instead." Alec took a breath. "I would have done _anything _to have died in Max's place, and maybe my prayers have been answered. If my life will save my remaining family, then maybe I can reconcile for what happened that night. By doing this, I will be saving everyone I love-"

"Touching, aren't you, Alexander?" Duke's voice edged in, like a tide interrupting the sand. "I will enjoy taking your life. I never imagined Mr Bane to pray on one so _weak_."

Magnus audibly snarled. "Don't you _dare _call him weak! Don't you _dare_!" Magnus had never felt so backed into a corner in his life, but there he was. He had to let Alexander go – he knew he did – but really wanted to keep him. "Please, anyone else. _Anyone."_

For a moment, Duke just looked at Alec, before breaking into a mischievous grin and turning back to the warlock. "How about that nice looking blond boy, with the broken arm, hmm? He seems _nice_…" Alec's face, beneath the blood and muck, paled considerably. "But then, that red head lying unconscious looks pretty fun too… or even that ridiculous excuse for a vampire… oh wait…" Duke's eyes zeroed in on Alec's beautiful ones. "What about that lovely young girl with the long, black hair and the pretty face… well," Duke amended, "not so pretty _now_. But Magnus, I am sure a man of your talents could fix it right up."

"Don't you speak of my family like that, you filthy piece of slime. I said I would sacrifice myself; do whatever you want to me. I made that _very _clear." Alec's voice was as hard as steel, and Magnus felt pride welling in his chest. Alec rarely spoke like that, but he was obliged to his morals. Magnus couldn't help thinking that he would have made a brilliant man.

Maybe, beneath all of his youth, Magnus had to acknowledge that Alec already was a brilliant young man. And now few people will have ever seen it.

Duke momentarily looked taken aback, but quickly pulled himself back together. "I am glad you think that, Lightwood, because this is going to be most pleasant… well, you know… for _me_. Now, step forward, Alexander, and pay the price your master requires you to pay."

Alec scowled. "You will _never _be my master."

At this, Duke laughed. "I was referring to your darling warlock. You were always fine with him being your master, right Alexander?" Alec didn't answer, but braved several steps toward the demon, stopping a foot in front of him. The demon laughed. "I bet you do not mind him touching you like this." Duke trailed his fingers along Alec's chest, but looked at Magnus.

That boy… that unworthy bastard child of his master, who had freedom he could only dream of in the most delirious nights did not _deserve _the power he had. Duke grinned, placing his hand on Alec's face allowing healing magic to seep through his fingertips, restoring the boy's face to its previous glory. Duke was almost surprised to see that under all the grime, this Alexander child was handsome. He didn't… he didn't _act _handsome.

"Why are you doing this?" begged the child. Another surprise, Duke supposed. Underneath all of his heroic façade, Alexander was terrified, the emotion plastered on his face. Duke didn't answer, his eyes meeting Magnus's as he healed the remaining injuries along Alexander's body.

Duke wished that he had his own little toy, like the ones that Magnus kept as pets. One like this… Alexander seemed like a nice boy. If he had a boy like him, maybe Duke himself would have played nice too, but being a monster… with an occasional monster lover made him in a very _not _nice mood. Magnus was a monster, deep down. Had he been subject to the life that had befallen Duke, he wouldn't be playing sweet with boys like _this _one.

"Look at him, Magnus. I fixed him for you." Duke's smile stretched across his face, which classified as human only through substance opposed to expression. Of course, Magnus wouldn't have looked away, not even if he had have wanted to. Like an eclipse or a meteor shower, Magnus Bane wouldn't risk looking away as Alec's light was extinguished, even as he stood lost and shaking with rage.

"No." Magnus's voice was choked. "Please, _please_." Magnus looked so torn, as though being consumed by both grief and rage. Duke could have taken anything else, but he had chosen Alexander. There were few things to take from Magnus which could have rendered him this hurt.

"I wish I had a boy like this one." Duke held Alec in front of him, so that Magnus could see every touch and change in stance. "Or even a girl. Down here, love isn't what you have, Magnus. Our love is _dirty _and _revolting_. What you have up here…" Duke gestured at the entire world, his voice incredulous. "What you have here is more than I could even dream of having, but I am trapped, and bound to a world of cruelty." Duke's ever present smile grew even more bitter. "And you are about to realise what it feels like, to be empty… just until you find someone else to occupy yourself with."

The demon's hands stroked Alec's torso and chin, holding him still and displaying possession over the boy before the mortified warlock. Alec had no idea what to say to Magnus's trembling form. He looked really sad, but he did not know what could make it better. Usually Alec didn't bother worrying about word choices, just going with whatever came to mind, but this was important.

"Leave, Magnus." Alec was surprised at the terrified tone of his own voice. He thought he had been hiding his fear so well. "This thing is just torturing you, and I do not want to watch you suffer anymore. Go and help the others. I will be…" Alec trailed off. _Fine_. He had actually been about to say 'I will be fine'. He felt Duke's rumbling laughter vibrating through his back. The warlock nor the Shadowhunter paid the slightest attention to him.

"A-Alec. Don't do this to me. Don't die not knowing how much you mean to me!" Magnus had never felt worse than he did at that moment. He should have been barrelling towards Duke, screaming that he would _never _let go of Alec, but he couldn't. Somewhere… deep down… he knew that Alec – and himself – was doing the right thing. That didn't change the fact that this felt _so _wrong.

"Magnus, I know what I mean to you-"

"Well obviously you don't!" Magnus stepped forward. He was so close to Alec, just one or two feet, but he could not reclaim him. He was as good as dead. "Obviously you have no idea what you mean to me, because you are still leaving my side. If you had _any _idea how I feel…"

And then Magnus stopped.

His words were true. If Alec could feel his pain, possess his knowledge… he would not question the effects of this decision upon Magnus. But then something that had not received quite as much attention in Magnus's own mind became oddly prominent; Alec was more frightened, more utterly disturbed by what was about to happen than he had let on.

Alexander Lightwood, beneath the demon's ugly touch and Magnus's words, lost control and broke down into a wave of tears he had been restraining for what felt like hours.

"Alec…" _I am sorry. I am sorry that I brought you here. I am sorry that I was selfish, and thought only of my own heartbreak, but most of all, I am sorry that put you in harm's way by letting you return my love._ But Magnus could not say that. Alec would not want him to. "Duke, please let me say g-good bye to him."

He made his voice more civil than he thought he could manage for the man who intended to kill the person he loved most in the world. Duke looked vaguely impressed.

"Of course, Magnus. What would it be, for me to steal his life without a heartfelt, tragic good bye? It won't make it better, you know. I hope it makes it worse." Duke did not hate Alexander. In front of the whole society of demons, he would freely admit that Alexander Lightwood was beautiful, affectionate and cared admirably for those he loved. But he belonged to Magnus, who did not deserve anything he possessed, especially not the beautifully broken boy before him. Poor, poor Alexander…

"Thank you." Magnus bowed to the demon before rushing at Alec and pulling him into an embrace, even as Duke refused to release the boy. "I love you, Alec. I love you so much, I need you to know that. Do not forget that, please."

Alec, who had very few ways of showing his love for the other man, leaned forward to rest his face on Magnus's shoulder, burying himself in the familiar smell of the warlock as he sobbed. Even after Duke had taken away his physical pain, he found himself hurting _so _much.

Because Magnus loved him, and that fact alone made Alec unimaginably happy.

Because one day Magnus would forget him…

In a fit of desperation, Magnus craned his neck inwards, placing his lips against Alec's, the boy having scarcely time to react-

And then he was gone.

Magnus didn't know how it was that he knew immediately that Alec's life had been taken away as he had kissed him… not exactly. It might have been the way his lips just stopped moving, or his breaths ceased to fill the silence. Magnus might have simply felt the stop of Alexander's heartbeat or the way Alec's eyes stopped flickering. He knew instantly when Duke dropped him on the ground, his body landing with the thud that could only have come from a dead man.

"You… you k-killed him…" Magnus was practically whimpering. His whole body felt numb, and he thought that he might follow Alec onto the ground at any moment.

Duke smiled a nasty smile. Magnus half expected him to come back to his demon form, but he stayed 'human', looking all the more terrifying for it. "How did it feel Magnus, when his lips went dead?" The demon kneeled down beside Alec, picking his now dirty face from the ground and pressing a finger to Alexander's beautiful lips… lips which had only ever kissed Magnus. "Did you like my timing? I knew you would…"

"He's dead." Magnus couldn't even think of what to say. "My Alexander… he wasn't meant to die…"

"Being alive is only a temporary state-"

"Shut up!" Magnus's voice was a deadly monotone. He was so filled with grief and rage. He could not ever remember feeling so murderous in his life. "You have no idea what he meant to me. You say you want love? Ha! You wouldn't even know what love is. Love is coming home to find the most beautiful boy in the world bleeding on your couch. Love is waking up in the middle of the night because your boyfriend had a bad dream. Love is every single imperfect piece of perfection Alec had given to me, and you just… You killed the most wonderful boy in the world."

At this Duke looked thoughtful. "This was not a crime against Alexander, you know. He is everything you say he is… I did this because I dislike you. This boy… I almost feel bad for taking him away. And it wasn't just his looks, was it? It was something else…"

Magnus watched in horror as Duke's form changed, his eyes becoming blue… his hair darkening black as his skin paled. That thing had no right to look like Alexander.

"Do you think I could do that little innocent face that Alexander does… you know the one." Duke made a crude imitation of Alec's meek smile. It still had a disturbing sense of perversion about it.

"How dare you…"

Duke grinned, the expression foreign on Alec's face. "Well, I think I have served my purpose." Alec's form fell away, and Duke bent one last time over Alec's still body, kissing him on the forehead. The worst part was that the affection looked somewhat genuine. "So I suppose I will say the words that Alexander didn't get to say." Duke's eyes gleamed blue once more, but his body remained the same.

"Good bye, Magnus."

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**Thank you for reading. It is rather sad, but it was fun to write, and hopefully not too bad on the readers.**

**Poor Alec...**

**Reviews?**


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